Chaos was all around as Sovereign waited, with his hands gripped around the poor Pokemon's neck. His fingers twitched at the thought of spilling blood. His fingers tightened around it's neck just before he heard exactly what he had been waiting for.

"SOVEREEEEEIGN!" He turned to see a large Golurk barreling towards him. he had no time to think, but it didn't matter, he only needed the rush of battle. As the Golurk crashed into him, he released his grip, and the Furret fell to the ground. He slid back a few feet.

"Don't remember me? Don't remember me?!" Paladin screamed, more furious than he'd been all day. The combined anger of everything that had happened to him today had finally gotten to him. "By the time I'm done with you, monster, you'll wish you had remembered me, so you could have cowered in fear!"

Paladin attacked. He had reverted back to his regular forme, and stood only a few feet away from the smaller Tyranitar. His first attack consisted of a Stone Edge; sending various stones towards the Sentinel, he attempted to distract him with them while he swung his arms around in a circle, preparing a Hammer Arm, then struck with the momentum of the swing and the power of the Hammer Arm attack, straight at Sovereign.

Paladin, throughout his various travels, had heard the name Sovereign several times. He was, for a time, the newest Sentinels until a few others joined whose names he could not remember. Still, only now, upon seeing the bloodstained Tyranitar, had he realized that it was the exact same one...

It was just a routine mission. Some local Pokemon had reported disturbances up in the mountain; Paladin, Gabe, Niko, and Juri had been sent to check it out. As they climbed the rigorous mountain to get to the source of the disturbance, they could never have guessed what they would find.

Sovereign stared at his bloodied hands. The blood of both his parents now mixed together, a fusion of the same being that had come together to create him. the remains of his mother were all around. "Why?" Sovereign cried desperately! "Why did we have to fight?! I knew I wasn't ready! You had to know I coundn't control it!"

"Hehehe. You needn't worry, Sovereign. Both your parents abandoned you anyway. Let me be your guide. I won't abandon you. I will help you become something they could never be..."

Sovereign turned to look at the newcomers. "This is my territory you know?" he said with a crooked smile and a red tinge to his eyes. "Or at least it was..."

"What in the world is this...?" Gabe Kellan muttered, as he peered over the cliff face. He was quickly followed by Niko, then Juri, then Paladin, who all looked down at the bloodstained monster that they saw below. "It's...a Tyranitar. What is it doing?" Juri asked, confused. Gabe shrugged as the strange Tyranitar turned to face them. Paladin gazed at the creature, disturbed by the words he had spoken. Something was off here... "This must be the source of the disturbance," Niko stated. "Yeah, let's check it out..." Paladin muttered, still staring into the hateful eyes of the creature below, as the four Pokemon began making their way down to meet the monster.

Sovereign blinked. His eyes now a normal white and black. "No no no! It wasn't supposed to end like that! How could he leave me!?" As he blinked once more his eyes were once again that red hue."Everyone leaves you in the end. Don't you know? You're worth nothing to them. But I can't leave you. I won't leave you..." The Tyranitar grabbed his head. "NOOOOOOO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" he screamed as the earth began to shake. The sky turned a deep black. Dark energy whipped around him like lightning and his skin began to shift to an ominous blue. When his eyes finally opened again, they had become a bright yellow. He stared directly at the intruders as he let out a strange distorted roar! "UUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Paladin gripped a nearby tree for balance as things began to shake. "An Earthquake? That guy's gonna bring the whole mountain down with something of this magnitude!" Niko shouted, trying and failing to keep his four paws firmly on the ground. Gabe also had trouble keeping his footing, but Juri, being a Claydol, was unaffected by the devastating Earthquake. Suddenly, a loud, odd cry came from the direction of the Tyranitar. Paladin was the only one to look back, and realized that the Tyranitar had changed appearance greatly. He looked much darker, and his bright yellow eyes seemed to pierce into the Golurk's soul. "Come on!" Gabe shouted, before proceeding further down to meet the Tyranitar, shaking in his step. Juri followed, as did Niko, but Paladin stood there for a moment longer...staring into the creature's eyes. Finally, they reached the level of the dark beast. All on their guards, Gabe looked intently back at the Tyranitar. The Luxray was easily able to see through objects, but rumors had spread around the Gold Tribe that he was so experienced, he was able to see through Pokemon into their souls. It looked very much like he was doing that now, and it also looked as if he didn't particularly like what he saw. "Tyranitar, why do you cause such disturbances?!" Gabe shouted, trying to be heard among the great rumbling of the earth.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" the beast cried as he charged the Luxray. He grabbed it by the head and swung it's body over like a lever, forcing it into the ground with incredible force! "UUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" The beast roared once more as he slammed his foot into the Luxray's overturned belly.

As soon as that happened, Paladin, Juri, and Niko sprung into action. Paladin quickly launched a Hammer Arm at the Tyranitar to drive him off a step, then used the little time given to lift his former master from the ground and fly up into the sky. "Oh my Arceus! Master!" Paladin panicked as he set down far away from the battlefield and deposited his master in a cluster of bushes. The poor Luxray had been surprised by the attack and was covered in bruises and cuts, bleeding all over. "Help...the others..." he mumbled. Paladin nodded and flew back up into the sky, leaving his poor master alone.

Juri and Niko fought bravely, but to no avail. When Paladin returned to the scene, he found Niko dead on the ground in a pool of blood, and Juri struggling to survive against this monstrosity. Paladin landed with a crash, hatred boiling in his eyes. "Monster!" he screamed at the beast. "Over here!"

Sovereign held the Claydol in the air, his fingers piercing the outside of his body. He turned to look at Paladin as a hundred black tendrils suddenly emerged from the Claydol's body. They slithered all around as the blood began to drip from every little hole. Then all at once, they retracted into the Claydol, and it fell to the ground.

As Paladin rushed the monster he swung his tail throwing the Golurk into a boulder. The monster began to walk slowly towards Paladin, the growling pant in his breath a most fearful sound. Paladin grunted as he heaved himself up, about to attempt another charge at the monstrous Sovereign. However, behind the Tyranitar, another voice came. "Paladin!" Juri shouted weakly. "Run!" Paladin could tell what was about to happen. The holes that riddled the Claydol's body began generating a bright white light, as his entire body began shuddering. In one last attack, Paladin changed to his flying mode and charged at Sovereign surprisingly fast, knocking him down to the ground with the final impact. Without looking back, he hurried away full speed towards the nearby forest area where he had left Gabe. He swooped the Luxray up swiftly in mid-flight, surprising the hell out of him. "Wha..." He mumbled quietly, looking weak. Then, the loud boom. The sound was huge, and could be heard miles away as Juri of the Gold Tribe used Explosion, decimating anything around him. Paladin was knocked off-course by the resulting shock wave, and was sent spiraling downwards, Gabe in hand. He crashed onto the ground, holding the Luxray up so as not to crush him. "Master..." Paladin set his master on the ground and checked his pulse with an overgrown finger.

Gabe Kellan was dead.

After Paladin returned the body to the Gold Tribe, a funeral service was held, and not long after, a vengeful Paladin and a large team of Gold Tribesmen returned to the razed scene where the battle had taken place. They found no one. Everyone assumed that Sovereign had either fled the scene on time, or been killed in the explosion, the latter being more likely. Still, Paladin swore on Arceus that if he ever saw the evil monster that had killed his master again, he would crush his very soul...

Sovereign took a barrage of attacks, which ended with a heavy Hammer Arm. Something about the attack felt familiar, but Sovereign couldn't place why? "Why can't I remember you? Why can't I remember anything !?" As the pain of uncertainty struck Sovereign, his hands emitted a dark energy mixed with the strength of the attacks Paladin had just hit him with. Sovereign unleashed his Payback, the power of which seemed to be stronger than it had been in the past. Sand began to pour from every crack on his body, and picked up in the whipping wind! Sovereign's Sandstom was full force by the time it happened. An explosion of Black Flame, somehow visible even through the thick cloud. Sovereign could feel it, in his very soul. A power so black that not even the night could compare. He could feel his blood lust growing stronger from it, but he would not give in to it.

The attacks looked like they were damaging Sovereign, but just when he thought he had him, the Tyranitar came back at him with a Payback attack. The attack had the power of all the attacks Paladin had just landed, and sent the Golurk flying four feet backwards. "Argh!" He grunted from the pain as he stood up once more. Then, he felt a soothing barrage of tiny rocks against his skin. He looked around to see that Sovereign had launched a Sandstorm. How refreshing! Paladin loved a good sandstorm. Both he and the Tyranitar were naturally unaffected by it, though the hard wind chipped away at the skin of any nearby Pokemon who did not share a type with the two giants. "You fool!" Paladin shouted, "I love sandstorms!" He almost chuckled, but decided his rage was too great for that now. He walked towards Sovereign again, beginning with a quick Shadow Punch to distract him, then kneeing him in the stomach and attacking with a full-on Hammer Arm. It hurt to move because of that powerful Payback, but Paladin ignored the aching and continued attacking. His rage had gotten the better of him, he just kept going with his onslaught of Hammer Arms and occasional Shadow Punches to draw his opponent's attention.

The continued assault from the Golurk was taxing. Sovereign needed an edge, and the Sandstorm gave him exactly that! "You may be of the earth, but this storm still gives me the advantage!" Suddenly, the sand began to strike with greater force as Sovereign invoked a Stone edge using his Sandstorm as the catalyst. He took his chance and moved in to Crunch his opponent, his bared teeth vicious and sharp!

The intensified Sandstorm came as a surprise to Paladin, but while it did a number on surrounding Pokemon, it left him unscathed. Still, the Stone Edge was no laughing matter. Paladin found himself swatting away the various stones which stung like a thousand Beedril stings every time one hit. Sovereign then lunged with a Crunch. Paladin extended his arm just on time, causing the Tyranitar's powerful jaw to clench tightly on Paladin's arm. "Aargh!" Paladin shouted, instinctively countering with another Hammer Arm straight at Sovereign's jaw. The best backed away from the hit a step, allowing Paladin to back off. Not a moment later, the earth itself began shaking. Paladin's fury would be unleashed through his Earthquake attack. The ground shook as Pokemon and buildings all around him starting falling to the ground, collapsing.

"STOP!" Sovereign was stunned by the voice. It echoed through his soul with the ferocity of an unchecked Tauros. Everything subsided at the call of a lone Blaziiken, standing over the beat up body of the Furret Sovereign had held hostage before. She looked beat up herself, and was barely standing. Sovereign stared at her, but his mind would not tell him who she was.

Who are you?
Who are you?
Who are you?
Who are you? Who are you?
Who are you?

"Sovereign," the Blaziken said weakly, "you have to remember."

"Who are you!?" Sovereign screamed as he gripped his head tightly. The earth shook all around, it was just like before, just like all the other times...

Only it wasn't.

Sovereign felt it as the darkness he felt earlier gripped his heart. The shaking became more violent as the sky, in all directions, across the whole city, turned pitch black. Dark energy whipped about the area like lightning, striking buildings and destroying structures that still had integrity.

'This isn't right," Vera whispered to herself. But there was no time to contemplate, they had a mission. DO IT NOW!